Vehicle-fender.



A. SAGRAMOSU. VEHICLE FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1911.

1,021,630. v Patented Mar. .26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D: c.

A. SAGRAMOSO.

VEHICLE FENDER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNBB, 1911.

1,021,630. v Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

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ALFONSO SAGRAMOSO, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led June 8, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.A

Serial No. 632,012.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFONSO SAGRAMoso, a citizen of Italy, residing atPhiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Fenders, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to fenders, and more particularly to the class ofsafety fenders for use on cars, automobiles, locomotives, or the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a fender inwhich the catch net thereof will be automatically lifted on thecontacting of the fender with anobject positioned within the path oftravel of the moving vehicle, so as to pick up such object and avoid thepossibility of the vehicle running onto or over such object during itstravel. n

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fender in which anobject when caught therein will be prevented from falling out of thesame from any side thereof, thereby avoiding the possibility of injuryto the object while a vehicle is in motion. Y i

A further object of the invention is the provision of a fender whereinthe catch net is normally disposed so as to positively receive an objectin the path 0f a moving vehicle, and will automatically become elevated,so as to lift such object above the ground surface and prevent anypossibility of the object falling from the fender; thus,`

in this manner, the loss of life and limb is avoided which ordinarilyresults from being run over or struck by a moving vehicle.

A still further objectV of the invention is the provision of a fender inwhich the catch net or basket thereof is positioned upon a vehicle on alevel, so as to assure the falling of an object in the path of movementof the vehicle into the net or basket, thereby avoiding injury to thesame, and preventing the possibility of the crushing of the object bythe vehicle wheels or being struck by the latter. j

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fenderwhich is positive in action, so as to protect a pedestrian or objectlocated in the path of movement of a vehicle and to avoid thepossibility of injury to such pedestrian or object when upon the track.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fenderwhich possesses ysuperior advantages in point of simplicity,

invention, which, to enable those skilled in the art to carry theinvention into practice will be set forth at length in the followingdescription, while the novelty of the invention will be pointed out inthe hereunto appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car,showing the fender constructed in accordance with the invention mountedthereon. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 isa view similar toFig. 1, showing the fender in raised position, for holding an objectcaught therein. Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 5 designates generally a portionof a car body, which is of the ordinary wellknown construction, mountedupon the car wheels, as usual, and at the forward end of the car body issupported the fender, hereinafter more fully described.

The fender comprises displaceable side supporting arms 6, the latterbeing passed through inverted U-shaped front and rear brackets or yokes7 fixed to the under face of the bottom or platform of the car body 5 inspaced relation to each other, adjacent opposite longitudinal side edgesof the said car body, the yokes or brackets being fitted withanti-friction rollers 9 j ournaled therein upon stud spindles 10 'fixedwithin the said yokes, and upon these rollers are adapted to travel thedisplaceable arms 6 which carry at their outer ends a catch net orbasket,.presently described.

The catch net or basket comprises a substantially rectangular-shapedframe, including front and rear bars 11 and 12, and side bars 13, thelatter being formed at their rear ends with perforated ears 14, engagingin forks 15 formed at the outer ends of the supporting bars 6, the rearbar 12 of the frame being passed through the forks 15 and ears 14, thusconnecting the same and serving as a pivot for the frame. Connected withthe front, rear and side bars 11, 12 and 13 of the frame is a net orforaminous body 16, the same being slightly slackened, and in which isadapted to be caught a pedestrian or object when in the path of travelof the car.

Formed on the forward ends of the side bars 13 of the catch net orbasket frame are forwardly and upwardly extending hanger arms 17, towhich are connected the forward ends of chains 18, which latter aretrained over upper and lower guide rollers 19 and 20, respectively, thelatter being journaled in brackets 21 suitably fixed to the sides of thecar body 5, the rear ends of the chains 18 being connected to laterallyextending lugs 22 formed on the rear ends of the supporting bars 6, sothat when the latter are moved in a rearward direction on the car body,the catch net or basket frame will automatically elevate from normallylowered position, shown in Fig. 1, to the position shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, thereby catching and holding the pedestrian or object inthe net or basket at an elevated point of safety above the groundsurface.

Formed in the supporting arms 6 are spaced elongated slots 22, in whichare journaled peripherally grooved friction rollers 23, the samecontacting with and adapted to travel upon rearwardly inclined guiderail tracks or flanges 24 fixed to and depending from the bottom orplat-form of the car body 5 in alinement with the lsupporting arms 6, sothat the latter will be caused to lower at their rear ends, while theirfront ends will become elevated on movement thereof rearwardly of thecar body, thereby assisting in the elevation of the catch net or basket,when the frame thereof strikes a pedestrian or obj ect in the path oftravel of the car.

Connected with the rear bar 12 of the net or basket frame is a guard net25, which latter is also connected to the front of the car body 5 at apoint elevated above its point of connection with the catch net orbasket frame, and is designed to prevent the pedestrian or object caughtwithin the basket or net from falling out of the same .between it,rearwardly thereof, and the car body, as will be obvious.

Carried by the supporting arms 6 are inwardly swinging side guardsupporting arms 26, the rear ends of which are connected to thesupporting arms 6 by means of pivots 27 which are spaced rearwardly fromthe outer forks 15 of the said supporting arms 6, the side guardsupporting arms 26 being provided with inwardly curved forward ends 2S,forming outer cam edges 29 adapted to contact with the forward bracketsor yokes 7 on movement of the supporting arms 6, rearwardly of the carbody 5 for the bringing of said side guard supporting arms 26 towardeach other, and in this manner closing the side safety guards, presentlydescribed.

The inwardly curved forward ends 28 of the side guard supporting arms 26are provided with forwardly directed forks 30, in which are hinged theside guards, comprising parallel raising and lowering limbs 31, the samebeing connected in the forks 30 by means of pivots 32 engaged in therear ends thereof, the limbs 31 being formed with upwardly bent andforwardly converging branch extensions 32 and 33, respectively, to whichare connected guard nets 34, the limbs 31 being caused to approach eachother above the catch net or basket, when the arms 29 move inwardly andthe supporting bars 6 are displaced rearwardly of the car body, or in areverse direction to the travel thereof, so that the guard nets 34 willbe positioned in forwardly converging relation to each other on oppositesides of the object or pedestrian caught in the catch net or basket, andthereby preventing such object or pedestrian from falling out of thesame laterally to opposite sides thereof.

. llVhen the catch net or basket is being set or moved to normallylowered position, as shown in Fig. l, the limbs 31 of the side guardswill gravitate onto the catch basket or net into the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Fixed to the front end of the car body 5, adjacent to the side guardsupporting arms 26, are leaf springs 35, the free ends of which contactwith the said arms 26 and are designed to move them outwardly when thecatch niet or basket is moved to normal position, shown in Figs. 1 and2, thereby separating the side guards, so that the branch extensions 32will contact with the hangers 17 on the frame supporting the catch netor basket, and when the side guards are in this position, the object orpedestrian will be deflected cent-rally within `the catch net or of theinvention will be readily understood, without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

That is claimed is:

1. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender comprisingsupporting members movably connected to th-e forward end of the saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame pivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said car body, rollers carried by the members and movableupon the tracks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, anddistorted flexible connections trained over the guide means and unitedwith the rear ends of the members and said catch net frame forautomatically elevating` the latter on the movement of the membersin onedirection.

2. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender comprisingsupporting members movably connected to the forward end of the saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame pivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said body, rollers carried by the members and movable uponthe trac-ks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, distortedflexible connect-ions trained over the guide means and united with therear ends of the members and said catch net frame for automaticallyelevating the latter on the movement of the members in one direction,and guide yokes depending from the bottom of the vehicle body andreceiving the said members for holding the same in alinement with thetracks.

3. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender comprisingsupporting members movably connected to the forward end of the saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame pivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said body, rollers carried by the members and movable uponthe tracks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, distortedflexible connections trained over the guide means and united with therear ends of the members and said catch net frame for Aautomaticallyelevating the latter on the movement of the members in one direction,guide yokes depending from the bottom of the vehicle body and receivingthe said members for holding the same in alinement with the tracks, andmeans on the members serving as rests for the catch net frame when innormally lowered position.

4l. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender, comprisingsupporting members movably connected to the forward end of the saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame kpivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said body, rollers carried by the members and movable uponthe tracks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, distortedflexible connections trained over the guide means and united with therear ends of the members and said catch net frame for automaticallyelevating the latter on the movement of the members in one direction,guide yokes depending from the bottom of the vehicle body and receivingthe said members for holding the same in alinement with the tracks,means on the members serving as rests for the catch net frame wheninnormally lowered position, and side guards connected and cooperativewith the members when moving in one direction for the bringing of saidguards into forwardly converging relation to each other above the catchnet frame.

5. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender, comprisingsupporting members movablyconnected to the forward end of t-he saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame pivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said body, rollers carried by the members and movable uponthe tracks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, distortedflexible connections trained over the guide means and united with therear ends of the members and said catch net frame for automaticallyelevating t-he latter on the movement of the members in one direction,guide yokes depending from the bottom of the vehicle body and receivingthe said members for holding the same in alinement with the tracks,means on the members serving as rests for the catch net frame when innormally lowered position, side guards connected and coperative with themembers when moving in one direction for the bringing of said guardsinto forwardly converging relation to each other above the catch netframe, and means for normally separating the side guards.

6. The combination with a vehicle body, of a fender, comp-risingsupporting members movably connected to the forward end of the saidbody, a normally lowered catch net frame pivotally connected to theforward ends of said members, rearwardly inclined tracks fixed to thebottom of the said body, rollers carried by the members and movable uponthe tracks, upper and lower guide means carried by the body, distortedflexible connections trained over the guide means and united with therear ends of the members and said catch net frame for automaticallyelevating the latter on the movement of the members in one direction,guide yokes depending from the bottom of the vehicle body and receivingthe said members for holding the same in alinement with the tracks,means on the members serving as the rear end of the catch net frame andthe lo rests for the catch net frame when in nor- Vehicle body.

mally lowered position, side guards con- In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature nected and cooperative with the members in presence of twoWitnesses. when moving in one direction for the bring- ALFONSO SAGRAMOSOing of said guards into forwardly converging relation to each otherabove the catch net Witnesses:

frame, means for normally separating the FRANK O. PARKER, side guards,and a safety net connected with BENNETT S. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

